Hay-cap retainer.



No. 821,862. PATENTED MAY 29, 1906.

G. M. DBDEW.

HAY CAP RETAINER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.22. 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 W/TNESSES /NE/VTOR No. 821,862. I PATENTEDMAY 29, 1906.

G. M. DEPEW.

HAY GAP RETAINER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22. 1906'.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WHA/5555 C'. 7%. Cant-3,9.

A UNITED sTATEs "PATENT OFFICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented. May 22, 190e.

Application filed January 22, 1906. slilllm 297,230.

'To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

'Be it known that' I, GEORGE M.v DEPEw, a resident of Canandaigua, in the county of Ontario and. State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in' Hay-Oap Retainers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to means for securing covers upon hay-cocks, hay stacks, grain-shocks, and the like; and it has for its object to provide a device for securing a flexible cover in place without the use of earth-driven pegs or other like means, and which device, together with a cover, can be readily applied and securely held in situation, which device may be made of a single piece of wire and is adapted' for compact storage or for convenient suspension for drying or other purposes. i

The invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and pointed out.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention and form a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hay-cock with cover applied. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the cover-retainer. Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified retainer. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a modified retainer and a cover connected thereto. Fig. 5 shows a cover connection on a largerscale than in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 shows a joint on a larger scale than in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a partial side view showing a modified connection between'the cover and retainer; and Fig. 8 is. an enlarged partial side view of the preferred form of retainer, showing more clearly the long open spiral preferably used and only indicated in Figs. 1 an 2.

Numeral 1 indicates a hay-cock, and 2 a cover of any suitable flexible fabric or material. This cover will usually be in the form of a square; but this form is not essential, as it may be oblong. Neither is it necessarily rectangular. Obviously material practically impervious to water will be the most suitable. For use on ordinary hay-cocks I have found that a piece of burlap four feet square acts efficiently. Burlap is not strictly impervious to water, but is recommended by its cheapness and by its weight, which helps to hold it in place.

3 denotes the cap-retainer. This by preference is made of a single piece of wire having spiral or other bends or kinks 4 and having its overlapped ends secured together by means of spiral or equivalent bends, as indicated at 5. Such ends can" be wound together before the cap or cover is placed upon a cock or after`,'if desired.

The cover is secured to the retainer at a plurality of points 6 and preferably4 at each corner of a rectangle, as indicated.

It is not essential that the wire be provided with numerous bends 4, but it is preferable, and it is practically useful to provide bends at the junction of theband and cover for the reason that the cover is thereby prevented from slipping along the wire at its points of attachment and because it affords a secure and convenient means for connecting together the wire ends to complete the band; but obviously the band might be made in the form of an open ring and also of such material as to be held in place on a hay-cock or the like by its elasticity. rlhis bandbeing preferably `made of flexible wire can be readily bent to conform to a stack, shock, or cock of other than circular form.

When not in use, the covers and retainers can be compactly assembled and inclosed, if

desired, or they may be suspended from pins or nails for drying or other purposes.

Referring to Fig. 1, it will be understood that water running down on the cover will be led in lines approximately parallel to the cover edges and will escape at the points 6.

In some cases to increase clearance the wire may have an outward bend 7, which if made in the form indicated in Figs. 4 and 5 would also provide for the expansion of the band if required by the size of the cock.

It is not essential that the band be made of a single piece, nor that it be rovided with the particular spiral bends ilustrated nor with any equivalent of such bends. The preferred form, however, is indicated in Fig. 2.

Two bail-like parts might be coupled together, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 6 at 3a, and used instead of a single-piece band.

In some cases the band maybe connected to the cover by cords, as indicated in Fig. 4. Such cords 8 at the corners of the cover may be tied to the outer ends of the bends 7, as indicated in Figs. 4 and 5, the ends of parts 7 being of suitable form to prevent the cords slipping therefrom. One of the cords in Fig. 4 1s left untied for clearness of illustration.

In Fig. 7 the cap-retainer is shown sus- IOO IIO

pended from the cap by hooks, which, if desired, can be made of leXible metal or of any suitable material.

Having thus described the invention, I- clairn- 1. The flexible hay or grain cover oombined with a band-retainer of relativel rigid material secured thereto at a plura ity of points.

2. The ilexible hay or grain cover oombined with a band-retainer of relativel rigid material secured thereto at a plura ity of points along its edge. .l

3. The flexible hay'or grain cover coinlbined with a band-retainer of relativel rigid material secured. thereto at a plura ity of points,' said band consisting of a single piece of metal.

4. The flexible hay or grain cover of substantially. angular outline combined With a band-retainer secured at its angles.

5. A hay-cover of eXible material cornbined with a metal cover-retaining band secured to its edge.

In testimony whereof I have signed this speoificationin the presence of two Subscribing Witnesses.

GEO. M. DEPEW.

Witnesses:

JosEPHINE M. SCOTT, HORACE W. FITCH. 

